入侵植物替代控制中土著种选择机制的研究

生物入侵对入侵地生态系统的稳定性及社会经济造成严重危害,成为全球三大环境问题之一。为有效治理入侵植物,结合常采用的物理、化学和生物防治等方法,从防治机制方面分析土著种替代控制入侵植物的有效性。通常土著种替代控制入侵植物是由于土著植物向环境中分泌化感物质,使得土壤中的微生物、动物以及化学成分相互作用,从而改变了入侵植物的生存环境。同时,土著植物利用自身的优势条件与入侵植物进行养分和光能等资源竞争,使入侵植物处于不利地位。通过对替代控制机理的概述,提出了替代植物的选择方法,讨论了需要进一步加强的领域,以期拓展替代控制这一领域的广度和深度,为入侵植物的生态防治提供理论依据。     

FcεR(1)-Mediated Mast Cell Reactivity Is Amplified through Prolonged Toll-Like Receptor-Ligand Treatment

Background

Mast cell-derived mediators mediate several of the pathological features of asthma. Microbial infections induce asthma exacerbations in which the contribution of mast cells remains incomprehensible.

Principal Findings

In this study we have investigated the characteristic expression pattern of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 1–9 and the effect of TLR ligand treatment on IgE-receptor mediated mast cell reactivity. For the studies we employed in vitro differentiated connective tissue like mast cells (CTLMC) and mucosal like mast cells (MLMC) from mice. Both phenotypes were treated for 24 h or 96 h with ligands for TLR1/2, TLR2/6, TLR3 and TLR4, before activation with IgE and antigen. Prolonged exposure (96 h) with TLR-ligands promoted mast cell reactivity following IgE-receptor activation. TLR4 activation with LPS generated the most pronounced effect, with an enhanced degranulation and secretion of leukotrienes, cytokines and chemokines, in both CTLMC and MLMC. The effect of LPS was mediated through a Myd88-dependent pathway and the increased effect involved JNK-dependent pathway.

Conclusion

We find that prolonged exposure of mast cells to pathogens/TLR-ligands modulates their effector responses by priming them for increased release of several inflammatory mediators when subsequently activated by IgE-receptors. These data suggest that infections might exaggerate the severity of allergic reactions such as in asthma, by enhancing mediator release from mast cells.     

Crystal structure of the cysteine desulfurase DndA from Streptomyces lividans which is involved in DNA phosphorothioation

DNA phosphorothioation is widespread among prokaryotes, and might function to restrict gene transfer among different kinds of bacteria. There has been little investigation into the structural mechanism of the DNA phosphorothioation process. DndA is a cysteine desulfurase which is involved in the first step of DNA phosphorothioation. In this study, we determined the crystal structure of Streptomyces lividans DndA in complex with its covalently bound cofactor PLP, to a resolution of 2.4 ?. Our structure reveals the molecular mechanism that DndA employs to recognize its cofactor PLP, and suggests the potential binding site for the substrate L-cysteine on DndA. In contrast to previously determined structures of cysteine desulfurases, the catalytic cysteine of DndA was found to reside on a β strand. This catalytic cysteine is very far away from the presumable location of the substrate, suggesting that a conformational change of DndA is required during the catalysis process to bring the catalytic cysteine close to the substrate cysteine. Moreover, our in vitro enzymatic assay results suggested that this conformational change is unlikely to be a simple result of random thermal motion, since moving the catalytic cysteine two residues forward or backward in the primary sequence completely disabled the cysteine desulfurase activity of DndA.     

粳稻穗部性状遗传分析

从粳稻（Oryzasativassp.japonica）RIL群体中选取每穗颖花数极端少的品系丙堡3201和丙堡3205及每穗颖花数极端多的品系丙堡3145和丙堡3214,配制丙堡3201×丙堡3145和丙堡3214×丙堡3205两个组合的P1、P2、F1、B1、B2和F26个世代,调查每穗颖花数、每穗实粒数、穗长、一次枝梗数和二次枝梗数的表型分布,并运用主基因＋多基因混合遗传模型,对这5个性状进行了遗传分析。结果表明,每穗颖花数性状在2个组合的各分离世代均未出现超亲分离,而其它4个性状均有不同程度的超亲分离。一次枝梗数受1对主基因＋多基因控制;其余4个性状均受2对主基因＋多基因控制。每穗颖花数、每穗实粒数、穗长和二次枝梗数4个性状以主基因遗传为主,一次枝梗数性状以多基因遗传为主。